


Sweet Little Somethin'

by type_here



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-04 18:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15153440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/type_here/pseuds/type_here
Summary: Because our lady deserves fluff right?( Aka my Fluff week ficlets )





	1. Day 1: Date Night

An address and a time. That's all there was on the message. It was an unlisted comms number which worried Juno a bit. He frowned; it could be a prankster or better yet, someone who wanted to punch him in the face or kill him. Wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe if was Cass? Hmm... Nah. Rita would have kept him updated on that. She was the one Cass kept in touch with nowadays. He turned the comms in his hands gingerly, as if it was about to explode. Well, knowing his luck, it would at some point.

He could ask Rita to trace back the message, He probably should do that. With the recent series of event he been through, however, she'll just worry about it He didn't want to do that to her. 

Well, the walk to the meeting spot wasn't that long, just about ten minutes. Juno sighed and sent a message to Rita; "Just gonna walk out for an errant, don't worry." It was promptly reply to by an enthusiastic "OK Boss!!!" with way too many thumbs up emojis. he made a mental note that perhaps he should treat her to pastries from her favorite place on his way back. 

He kept thinking about who it might be hat sent him this message, if he was walking right into a trap or not. The closer he got o the place, the more nervous he got. He shook his head; this was dumb. He got out of scraps with odds ridiculously stacked against him before. Whatever that was should be easy to deal with,

If anything the walk was nice. He got to a nicer part of town that was all cute storefronts, vintage Earth memorabilia shops and restaurants. He looked up the address on this comms again. There he was.

It was a coffee shop. One of those quaint mom and pop one that was actually most likely part of chain and made to look that way It was just crowded enough to make things diff-

Oh.

Juno took strides toward a table at the back of the shop, a small smile on his lips. "You could have told me it was you. I thought someone was trying to get me into a trap." he said to Peter as he plopped down in the chair in front of him.

"I worry for your health darling if you willingly walk into a situation you think might be a trap. But why would- Oh. Did I ever gave you my new comms number?"

Juno looked blankly at Peter for a moment. Then he handed his comms to Peter. "That's what I got. I guess your new comms number is that one?"

Peter looked at the screen and chuckled. "Well, no wonders you thought it was a trap. But yes, it's indeed my new number. Perhaps I should sign my messages with a heart so you know it's me?"

Juno smiled and nodded at the idea. "Would be nice. So what this whole thing is about? Need my help for a heist again?"

Peter mockingly gave and offended look to Juno before smiling widely. "Nothing of the sort, darling. Just a nice chat and a coffee. It been too long." Peter said, intertwining his fingers with Juno's own.

Juno looked at their interlocked hands, then looked at the rest of the place, bashful. He smiled at Peter, not his usual half smile, but a genuine happy one. "Yeah, you're right. It been too long. So... How's the galaxy?"

"It's wonderful. You know the leaders of Ceres-3 have a huge collection of Martian artifacts^ Would be a shame not to see them in a musuem here, frankly." 

Juno snorted. "I feel like you got a plan here." 

"Am I that easy to read my dear detective?" Peter grinned, pulling Juno's hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles.

"Nah. I'm just that good at my job." Juno chuckled, looking smug.

Peter always loved those too small moments when he could make Juno laugh like that. It was like. sunshine after the rain. "Well you're indeed a great detective my love."

Juno rolled his eyes and stood up to get a coffee. This, he could enjoy this. It was... It was comfortable, nothing too big or too flashy. He picked his order and sat back down in front of Peter. "You're staying for a while this time around?"

Peter nodded. "Yes. I've got nothing time sensitive for at least two weeks. I heard the the rings around the Apollo twin star system are quite beautiful this time of the year."

Juno smiled. " I guess I can clear up my schedule. I'm sure Rita would enjoy a couple of days off too. Something about streams and catching up with her friend Frannie.:

Peter jumped out of his seat like he just got a proposal, "Who are you and what did you do with Juno?" He asked, looking frantically around for a doppelganger of Juno.

Juno shook his head and smiled."Nobody did anything to me but you, Peter."

It was Peter's turn to snort. "Was that a joke Juno darling?" 

Juno smirked. "No."

"Shame, it was a good one." Peter replied with a grin.

"Really though, I just- I just want to spend more time with you, is all. No big deal about this."

"Well set a time and a place and I shall try my best to make this as memorable as possible. I'm just glad I can make you happy this way." Peter replied, beaming.

Juno nodded, looking at his mug for a moment. He thought he could get used to this. It was nice. They spent the rest of the evening chatting away, catching up on news and gossip and yeah... It was really nice.


	2. Day 2: Found Families.

There was days like this, where things didn't seem so bad. Sitting between Mick and Sasha, Ben sitting cross legged on the floor and leaning against him; it felt like days like this were a little brighter than the rest. They would watch old Earth movies until they fell asleep on the couch in a heap only to be awoken a couple of hours later by Mick's snoring. They would throw popcorn at each other and comment on how corny and predictable the movie all was. They were his family of choice, the very few people he'd give his life for.

There was days like this, when it felt like someone got his back. Ben was always there when he needed him the most. Patching him up and being the annoying little brother he never wanted and never ever going to leave behind. He would do everything for Ben, the only member of his family of blood he would trust beyond anyone else. He was the glue that held the pieces together, the proof that sometimes blood was thicker than water. He was the light within the too deep darkness.

There was days like this, when it felt like there would be a storm but at least there was shelter. He tried not to hide anything from Sasha. She was too perceptive for her own good. She would notice the bruises Juno was trying to hide. She wouldn't push for answers, she knew well enough what was going on in the Steel household, but she would offer Juno a place, some respite when Sarah was too much, when his mind was too much. She was a rock he could hold on when the seas got too rough.

There was days like this, when he felt like he could reach hope. Mick was telling another of his stories. They were scrappy and hungry for more and Juno knew most of them would never reach what they wanted but those stories were balm on their aching souls. As fake as they were they were glimmers of something more beyond the limits of their neighborhood. Juno listened to this like he listened to his mother's stories once upon a time. It was soothing when things felt too sharp. He was optimism when everything seem hopeless.

They grew up. Their world became bigger. Their world became meaner. It didn't matter, they stuck together in some ways or another.

There was days like this, when his world seem a little bit more colorful. Rita was loud and passionate and so so bright. She was everything that he was not. She dragged him out of the haze he found himself more often than not into. She was splashes of colors when everything felt grey Her persistance pushed him forward when all he wanted was to let the world pummel him down to the ground. She saw him at his worst and still thought the best of him. He didn't deserve her. She was too amazing. \She was the rainbow during the rain.

There was days like this when even if he was stumbling down, the world still felt more compassionate. Alessandra didn't have to say yes to that job. He would have understood. She had someone in her life. She had overcome things about herself that, at the time, Juno wouldn't even had acknowledge he was fighting about himself. Yet, she was there, telling him the truth he needed to hear, telling him she was proud of him when he felt he had nothing to be proud of. She was the buoy he needed at the time he needed.

There was days like this when he felt like love could be a thing again. He looked at Peter from his spot in the bed, Peter who was doing his morning routine and humming some tuneless song. No, not some tuneless song, a song that he recognized from a memory, once upon a time. Peter must have been happy for him to sing this. Peter, the thief who was once without a name or a home and decided one day that Juno would be the one to give him this. Peter who always came back. He was... He was everything.

There was days like this where he realized that he was lucky to have them, he was lucky that they cared about him. There was days like this where he felt at peace and happy. They were his family. They were more than the father he never had and the mother he wished he didn't have. They were those who were always there through thick or thin. They were the few he knew he could count on, his family of choice.


	3. Day 3: Cooking

Juno enjoyed the time he had enough energy to use the kitchen. It was a nice thing to do. He found himself doing it more often too, knowing that Peter would be around more often to enjoy the results of his endeavours with him. It was more relaxing than it had any right to be. A pinch of that, a spoonful of this, the smell wafting through the small kitchen... It was nice.

It was so nice and he was so concentrated on his task that he didn't realize a certain thief had made his way back home, dropped his stuff in the living room by the entrance door and made his way to the door frame separating the kitchen from the rest of the apartment. He didn't notice Peter grinning at the sight of his boyfriend being happy.

Peter was silently watching Juno do his thing. It was nice to see how his detective was at ease behind the counter. It was as if he was following some music in his mind or maybe rather directing it. Stretch out for a herb from the pot on the windowsill, adding a dash of some ingredient, each moves having a purpose and a grace Peter rarely ever got to see.

He closed the gap between himself and Juno, leaning his head against his love's shoulder. Juno startled at this, not expecting the intrusion, but instead of reacting like he would usually do in earlier times, he just melted down in the gesture leaning with lall his weight against Peter.

"Hey." Juno's voice was soft and his stare didn't leave what he was doing. 

Peter chuckled at this, hugging Juno a little bit tighther. "Hello, darling. I see I cannot distract you from what you are doing right now." He planted a kiss at the junction of Juno's shoulder and neck before nosing the spot and taking a deep breath.

"Well, unless you want diner to burn, I'd rather keep an eye on it. I thought you would be here later tonight."

The space around them smelled of caramelized onions and herbs. Juno himself smelled of cinnamon and vanilla and that little thing that made the smell particularly him. It was warm and safe and Peter had missed this.

"Just let me move this off the stove and in the oven." Juno said, interrupting Peter's thoughts.

He gave Juno more space, letting him do his thing, thinking about how lucky he was that he was sharing this place and time with this man. 

Juno dropped utensils in the sink to be washed later. He walked to Peter and held him, hiding his face at the crook of his neck. "Welcome home." he mumbled, busier taking in the smell of Peter's cologne and the warmth of his skin beneath his hands. It was still such a strange thing to say, but Juno found himself enjoying saying this more and more. Peter loved hearing it too, he knew as much. The warm smell, the warm touch, every single of those little warm and soft things were what was making this place a home.

"What were you making?" Peter asked, just holding Juno like they had all the time in the world.

"Your favorite. I thought you would enjoy it after that business trip of yours. " There was a moment of pause where Juno looked up at Peter with a ridiculous look of embarassement on his face. " I sound like one of those housewives in Rita's old streams, don't I? Like those very old Earth ones that are absolutely terrible. I don't know why she loves them so much."

Peter laughed. " Well no matter what you do love, you know I would enjoy it, right?"

"Right."

Peter pressed a kiss to the top of Juno's head and untangled himself from him before planting another kiss on his lips. " Let me set up the table and we can do the dishes together afterward?" 

Juno nodded at this, a small smile on his lips and leaned again for another kiss. He had missed this. 

Good thing there was a timer on that oven.


	4. Day 4: Affection

Affection is not all in the grand gestures. It's not in the many gifts and bouquet of roses and dahlias, the flashy jewellery and the outfits with fabric so fancy and so soft you want to melt in them that your boyfriend gives you. They are a plus, you love those grand gestures

It's also in the small things. The soft smiles in the morning just as the sun hits the dusty window to make everything look golden.

It's in a coffee passed to you when you grumpily come to the kitchen.

It's in the pancakes you make for the both of you because he's a hopeless cook. Maybe one day you'll teach him. Thir morning is not that day. 

It's in the hug he gives you as you try to flip that damn pancake before it burns. He laughs at this as you make an annoyed noise but at least breakfast isn't burned.

It's in this almost dance you go through your daily routine. His soft kiss that you grumble about because, damn they are so distracting, stop that Peter I have to get to work.

It's in the devastating smile he levels at you that floors you every time because he does that to nobody else but you.

It's the sound of the rain and the smell of his cologne when you both lounge on the couch after an exhausting day. 

It's seeing him, asleep on the couch in nothing but a pair of boxer and one of your oversized sweater.

It's the soft words in the dark of the night when everything feels raw and vulnerable.

It's the quietness and the loudness, the good and the bad, it's everything in between and nothing at all. It's forgiving each other for the mistakes and it's...

It's wanting to see the stars with him when you thought you could never get that. 

It's realizing that this makes you a better person and this is making him a better person too.


	5. Day 5: Support System

For someone who loves monologuing in his mind so much, sometimes Juno is rather quiet. To the point where it worries the two bubbliest of his friends. He doesn't know how he attracted them, to be honest, but he's glad they are around. 

So, it's usually how it starts.

Rita will touch his shoulder as she drops another case file on his desk. She will leave a glass of water or something similar on his desk just a the edge of his peripheral vision on his good side so he will take notice and stretch out at the same time. Sometimes it's pastries when she notices he hadn't been eating in a while.

She tries very hard not to crowd him but sometimes she fails at it. Especially when they are going out to the movies. Horror movies make her cling to him and look wide-eyed at the screen. Any other movie makes her point at the screen, pointing out detail and telling trivia about the characters and the actors. 

It is nice. It helps to get him out of his head from time to time. He doesn't like that she worries and sometimes her efforts were misguided, but still, that she stuck for so long with him just makes things a little bit brighter when everything feels like dark shades of grey.

Mick always calls and text and make sure he's doing... if not great kind of fine, at least not absolutely want to toss himself in heavy traffic kind of fine. It goes way back when they were still in Old Town. Sometimes the question of "Are you fine?" grates on Juno's nerves, because, no, of course, he's not, but at the same time...

Mick has never been the sharpest tool in the shed, but for all his flaws he knew exactly what to say and when to say it. It was a jolt whenever it happened, surprising and sometimes unpleasant, but much needed. More often than not Mick's wisdom showed up after one too many drinks, but still, it meant more to Juno than he could articulate.

It reminds him that he doesn't have to be alone in this. They constantly remind him that he got a shoulder to lean on. He doesn't want to use it often, he feels too much like a nuisance for doing so but he knows they care enough to make this a constant in his life.


End file.
